Fredericksburg Parent

20 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • May 2019 Ask the Expert a sk t h e e x p e rt Q: What makes Grymes Memorial School stand out? Grymes Memorial School is a family. You feel it the instant you step onto the beautiful 42-acre campus. Children smile at one other and greet you, teachers are relaxed and happy, and there's a buzz in the hallways as students and teachers go about the business of exploration and dis- covery. This strong bond—within a community where everyone is kind and knows each other's name—makes Grymes stand out. While the hands-on nature of our curriculum is a highlight, the emphasis on confidence in self- expression is extraordinary. Whether it's taking part in conversations with teachers and peers in the classroom, standing up and speaking for an announcement at our weekly all-school assem- blies, performing in a class play or reciting a poem to a standing-room-only audience in our signature Declamations program, all Grymes students have a voice. We encourage them to share their voice with confidence and poise. I'm always amazed at how comfortable Grymes students are on stage, and that's a big part of what makes this program unique. Students get the tools, the opportunities and the encouragement to express themselves, and they do it beautifully! If you're looking for a new school for your child, or are starting the adventure with your rising kindergartener, Grymes Memorial School in beautiful Orange County, Virginia, is worth considering. In this month's Ask the Expert, the Administrative Team at Grymes answered questions about what makes it a unique place for children to learn and walked us through the admissions process and more! Q: What does it mean that Grymes School has a "character-driven community?" Grymes is a non-denominational, indepen- dent school, but we emphasize the impor- tance of character and citizenship as part of a whole child education. Our core values of respect, responsibility, kindness and honor (or honesty) are a part of all we do. We create a community of trust built on this framework. At Grymes, kids learn more than reading, writing and arithmetic; they learn good citizenship within a community. That includes not just the school commu- nity, but the outside world. The Head of School greets students with a handshake at the start of each day and teachers treat students with respect. We teach students the importance of respect and caring about others through our four "watch words." We teach these through class community- service projects, and through a curriculum that has a global reach. • Now enrolling three-year-olds • Spanish starting in Pre-K • Music, Visual Arts, Drama & Public Speaking for all ages • Engineering "Rad Lab" • Interscholastic Sports grymesschool. g Grymes Memorial School • 13775 Spicers Mill Road • Orange, VA • 22960 • 540-672-1010 Bus service available Joyful Learning A co-educational independent day school for Pre-K – eighth grade that inspires joy in discovery through hands-on, active learning. WRITTEN BY BRENDA SAPANGHILA GRYMES MEMORIAL SCHOOL

• Cover